 You know, it's harder to climb down a ladder than it is to climb... I did a swan dive once, so graceful that a swan looked up and he says, it's all on. Say, tell me, how do lifeguards get paid? So much per head or how? No, some lifeguards are paid by the county or state, but many lifeguards volunteer their services. They don't get paid at all. They don't? Do lifeguards have to pass a pretty tough test?